The state’s continuous stormy weather is only making California’s large snowpack even larger, state water officials confirmed during their third snow survey of the year.
Combined with the series of winter storms that hit California in December and January, recent storms have given the state an above-average snowpack.
Results from the state’s latest manual snow survey, conducted on Friday, recorded 116.5 inches of snow depth at the Sierra Nevada’s Phillips Station, which is 177 percent of average for the area at this time of year.
The California Department of Water Resources’ electronic snow sensors throughout the state detected that the snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 44.7 inches, which is 190 percent of average for Friday.
“Thankfully the recent storms combined with the January atmospheric rivers have contributed to an above-average snowpack that will help fill some of the state’s reservoirs and maximize groundwater recharge efforts. But the benefits vary by region, and the Northern Sierra, home to the state’s largest reservoir Lake Shasta, is lagging behind the rest of the Sierra,” DWR Director Karla Nemeth said. “It will also take more than one good year to begin recovery of the state’s groundwater basins.”
Water officials said that with one month left in the state’s wet season, they are closely monitoring spring runoff scenarios to maximize state water supply and prevent flooding.
“The recent storms over the past week broke a month-long dry spell in a dramatic way,” said DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Sean de Guzman. “We are hopeful that we will see more cold storms to add to our snowpack for the next month and help set up a long, slow melt period into spring.”
DWR’s next snow survey is tentatively scheduled for April 3.
Climate Crisis! Wetter and more frequent storms, dangerously high snow packs, more dangerous road conditions. Please donate to my non-profit to stop this! I can also use some grant writers to squeeze some money from the Feds. Help!
Warm atmospheric river with snow levels above 9000 feet predicted for later in the week. Bad news for the snow pack. Reminiscent of 1997. Warm rain hits the huge snow pack and it’s flood city. Remember when Oroville dam almost went bye bye? I hope the water managers are paying attention. It would be a shame if we lost a good portion of the snow after we waited so long for a good snowfall season not to mention all the issues a rapid melt will create. Hope the forecast is wrong.
Down here in the Carson and Washoe valley’s we have been given a flood watch warning for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But as for today and tomorrow more snow!
The hope for the mountains is that since the last few storms have produced a more dry fluffy snow that is capable of absorbing water that that the pack won’t melt to fast.
The folks living in flood zones better batten down the hatches. With more rain in the forecast, and warming spring temperatures, the mountains will not be getting much more snow, but they will get rain. The rain will accelerate the melting process, resulting in an awful lot of runoffs.
DawgThe hope for the mountains is that since the last few storms have produced a more dry fluffy snow that is capable of absorbing water that that the pack won’t melt to fast.
As for today and tomorrow more snow and it’s coming down pretty hard as a write this. The garbage truck is still chained up. 4th week for that
15-Day Forecast Soda Springs, CA
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Snow Water Equivalent
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Caltrans CCTV Map
https://cwwp2.dot.ca.gov/vm/iframemap.htm
Well as someone who now has a 5ft and growing bunny slope in the corner of my back yard all I can say is all of us here can’t wait for the snow to stop. We get a break on Thursday but…….The Carson and Washoe valley have a flood watch from Friday through Sunday. Such fun…NOT!